The treatment of diabetes

       As we have seen in in the previous articles, diabetes is a terribly dangerous disease when untreated. Fortunately effective treatments have been developed for diabetes. These treatments usually allow diabetes to live healthy lives.
       There are two types of treatments: medication and lifestyle changes. Both are usually prescribed. Medication includes: insulin injections, oral insulin drugs, insulin sensitivity drugs, and insulin production drugs. Lifestyle changes include: a diabetic healthy diet, stress reduction, sleep modification, and moderate exercise.
       Type 1 diabetics (those whose bodies no longer produce insulin) have to take insulin shots. They monitor their blood sugar closely, testing their sugar usually before and after every meal, upon waking and before going to bed, and as needed. Type 1 diabetics are also required to make changes in their diets to accommodate their diabetes.
       Type 2 diabetics (those whose bodies either don’t produce enough insulin or whose bodies have lost their sensitivity to insulin) must also monitor their blood sugar, although typically not as closely as a Type 1. (I test my blood sugar in the morning before breakfast, after lunch, and before my bedtime snack.) Type 2 diabetics can usually be treated with medication and lifestyle changes.
       But this is important: Each diabetic is different. Treatments have to be tailored to each person. So generalities about the treatments are only correct on average and may not apply to a particular diabetic. That is why it is important for a diabetic to work closely with his/her healthcare provider to develop a treatment plan to fulfill his/her needs.
       I am a Type 2 diabetic. Each morning I test my blood sugar. Then I take one 30mg pill of ACTOS®. ACTOS® helps control blood sugar levels in my body by reducing insulin resistance. (Insulin resistance is a condition in which my body’s cells don’t respond to insulin properly.) Then I follow my meal plan. I eat six times a day, three regular meals, and three snacks (midmorning, mid-afternoon, and before bed). In the regular meals, I’m allowed 60 carbohydrates at each meal, and 15 carbs at each snack. I typically test my blood sugar before the mid-afternoon snack and before the bedtime snack. The point of the meals and snacks to keep my blood sugar at an even level and avoid blood sugar swings.
       My daily menu usually goes like this: For breakfast, I have a bowl of oatmeal, eight ounces of orange juice, and eight ounces of milk. For my midmorning snack, peanut butter crackers or baby carrots. For lunch, a hamburger (no cheese, no fries) with vegetable chips or baby carrots, or lunch at a Mexican restaurant where I have fajitas (beef or chicken, four flour tortillas, salsa, peppers, onions, lettuce and tomatoes), or a Burger King grilled chicken salad. For the afternoon snack, carrots, peanut crackers or one oatmeal cookie. For the evening meal, I eat what I want, keeping the carbs low. Bedtime snack is toast with butter spray.
       I watch my blood sugar and see what foods affect me. For instance, barbecued beans make my blood sugar rise greatly. So I've removed them from my menu choices. Also, I don't drink soft drinks, neither diet or regular. Water is my main beverage.
       This diet is so far working for me in controlling my blood sugar, but I have an additional problem. I also suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The IBD diet is loaded with potatoes, rice, and other soothing carbs that the diabetic diet discourages. So my diet is a balancing act between the IBD and the diabetes. It gets confusing at times, but as I learn more about how foods affect my blood sugar, I will make better choices and eventually will have my diabetes under control.
       Next time we'll take about tips and lessons learned about diabetes.

Read previous articles on Blood Tests & Diabetes, Symptoms of Diabetes and What is Diabetes.

For individual health care questions, consult your doctor. For more information about diabetes, visit the website for the American Diabetes Association.
 
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